No cause for worry

PUNE: Massive devastation due to the earthquake in Gujarat, and subsequent tremors witnessed throughout the country have induced fear in the minds of common man.

At this stage, some technical comparisons between structures in Ahmedabad and Pune are called for.

The devastation and collapse of high-rise buildings in Ahmedabad occurred mainly because of sub-standard concreting procedures for cost-saving and neglect of minimum precautions against earthquakes and the fact that the foundations were resting on bad strata.

Ahmedabad strata can be majorly classified as alluvial deposits of low load bearing capacity. Lack of proper precautions at foundation level can lead to disasters during earthquakes.

In comparison, Pune is geologically made up of volcanic rocks and minor basic intrusives (appendix C -IS 1893, Map of India showing principal Lithological groups). In essence, this means that the majority of structures in Pune region are founded on strata with very good geological as well as load-bearing capacities.